Download Wallin_Back_to_School_with_the_Thinking_Maps

Welcome to the
®
Maps Training
Thinking
Welcome to
Back to School Night with the
Thinking Maps!
Your School Name
Date
Back to School Night with the Thinking Maps
Give you, our wonderful parents, an
opportunity to learn the Maps (and
maybe even improve YOUR thinking
skills!).
Bring our school family together!
Align all of us: parents, students, and
teachers, around a common goal:
Effectively implementing the
Thinking Maps.
Empower you to support your
children’s use of the Maps throughout
the school year.
Our school family
is hosting a Back to
School Night with
the Thinking Maps.
The Power of
Visual Symbols
Your Objective:
Shout out the answer to this
question: “What do these symbols
make you THINK?”
40% of all nerve fibers connected
to the brain are linked to the
retina.
36,000 visual messages per hour
may be registered
by the
eyes.
-Eric Jensen, Brain
Based Learning
80% of all information that
comes into our brain is VISUAL.
The Age-Old Teacher Dilemma
Why doesn’t “THINK,
THINK, THINK!” work?
It’s not brain compatible teaching!
“Understanding a subject results from perceiving
relationships. The brain is designed as a
pattern detector.”
“Our function as educators is to provide our students with
the sorts of experiences that enable them to perceive
patterns that connect.”
Caine & Caine. (1994). Making Connections: Teaching and the Human Brain.
So Why Thinking Maps?
Thinking Maps…
• “are a common visual language for learning within and
across disciplines” in grades preK-12th and beyond! (Did
you know there are over 750 graphic organizers floating
around!?! 750 vs. 8
• are a scientifically proven method to help boost student
academic achievement, test scores, and writing skills
• provide students a tool to give information that they
otherwise would never share
So Why Thinking Maps?
Thinking Maps…
• allow teachers and students to share a common frame of
reference (perspective), which leads to less confusion
and better communication
• allow students to SHOW their THINKING
• teach students how to learn smarter, not harder, and
teachers how to work smarter, not harder
“Thinking Maps
store information
the way the
brain does.”
Pat Wolfe
Dendrites
Gathers chemicals in
brain fluid. It is
continually looking
to make connections
with other neurons.
Cell Body
Converts chemicals into an
electrical charge.
Synapse
Sends chemicals back to the
brain fluid. The Synapse takes
the information from the axon
and for a dendrite.
Axon
Transports
electrical charge.
It decides
whether the
neuron is going
to use it or lose it.
The Jobs of Each Neuron Part
• Dendrite: Gathers chemicals in brain fluid. It is continually
looking to make connections with other neurons. The
dendrite REACHES to other neurons to make connections as it
SLURPS up information! BUMP!
• Cell Body: Converts chemicals into an electrical charge. They
SIZZLE! BUMP!
• Axon: Transports electrical charge. It decides whether the
neuron is going to “USE IT OR LOSE IT.” BUMP!
• Synapse: Sends chemicals back to the brain fluid. The Synapse
takes the information from the axon (WOOHOO!) and
REACHES for a dendrite. BUMP!
Now it’s time to become a
brain cell!
• Line up
• Assign parts
4
people
per
group
Dendrite
shoulder to
shoulder
• Explain jobs
See next
slide!
Cell
Body
Axon
Synapse
Now it’s time to become a brain cell!
Dendrites #1
Reaches and
slurps!
Cell Body #2
Sizzles!
Axon #3
“Use it or
lose it!”
Synapse #4
Woohoo and
reaches!
Neurons that fire together
get wired together!
These wired together neurons
form patterns in the brain!
Thinking Maps are the
necessary SCAFFOLDING
for meaningful learning to
take place.
To sum it all up:
Thinking Maps help
students become better
learners, writers, and
THINKERS!
And now an
overview of the
fabulous eight!
THE CIRCLE MAP
THOUGHT PROCESS
Defining in Context
or Brainstorming
KEY WORDS
Context, List, Define, Tell
everything you know,
Brainstorm, Identify,
Relate prior knowledge,
Explore the meaning,
Associate, Generate
3+3
1+5
2+4
6
0+6
5+1
4+2
6+0
Cadillac
famous
?
sideburns
May
still be
alive
THE BUBBLE MAP
THOUGHT PROCESS
Describing
KEY WORDS
Describe, use vivid
language, observe using
the 5 senses, describe
feelings, attributes,
characteristics, properties,
adjectives, qualities
REMEMBER:
Only use adjectives or adjective phrases.
Page 11
4TH Grade
Special
Education
Class
THE DOUBLE BUBBLE MAP
THOUGHT
PROCESS
Comparing and
Contrasting
KEY WORDS
Compare and
contrast, discuss
similarities and
differences,
distinguish
between,
differentiate